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Go Lone Wolf with Our Top Five MMO Games for the Solo Player

By Jeff Francis

It is true that the "massively multiplayer" aspect of mmorpg games has been reduced over the last few years. In fact, a lot of gamers question any new game being developed on how solo-friendly it will be. There are a number of reasons why mmo games are catering to the single player, such as a reluctance of gamers to group with others or players just looking for some quick action and then logging back out. There are both positive and negative features of the evolution of online games to being solo-friendly, but our purpose here is not to discuss that but to look at some games that offer a great experience for those who seek to adventure alone. It's time to go lone wolf as we examine our favorite top five solo mmo games.

Star Trek OnlineThe first of our top five solo mmo games is Star Trek Online. This sci-fi mmo based upon the hit franchise is a dream come true for solo players. The player's character is practically a world in of itself as they fly across space in one of their stable of starships. Almost all of the missions are instanced, which does have a positive effect for the individual gamer. The lack of other players crashing the party means that the player can fully immerse themselves into the narrative unfolding before them. As Star Trek Online has really pushed the game's narrative over its various seasons, this is a very good thing. Players can engage in space combat by themselves, either during missions or by taking part in a deep space encounter. The player also can go it alone when they beam down to a planet to do some adventuring as they are accompanied by their away team. It's nice to have a team of AI buddies with you (and hopefully drawing some fire away from you!).

Card HunterThe second of our top five solo mmo games is Card Hunter. This awesome browser mmo really scratches my dungeon-delving itch, no matter the time of day or night. This game harkens back to old school D&D, and there is a definite twist that adds the collectible card features of games like Magic: The Gathering (MTG creator Richard Garfield does work for the game). The player creates a party of characters and equips them with various equipment, which have associated cards for use in the dungeons. The player can change their party composition and equipment to tackle different challenges. All of the normal action in Card Hunter is against AI opponents as the player seeks to complete adventures that are themed like old school rpg modules. Players can fight against other players in a PvP mode if they wish, but the game's true charm lies in the normal board-based adventures, and players share adventures that they create with others. When it's 3:45 in the morning and you're looking to go on an epic quest, then fire up Card Hunter and dive in.

Dungeons and Dragons OnlineNext on our list of our top five solo mmo games is Dungeons and Dragons Online. The first mmo based upon the pen-and-paper role-playing game that launched the new industry really decided to stick to its roots. The entire gaming experience is based upon the individual party. Almost every aspect of the game is instanced, from adventure zones to the individual quests. While the game was designed around a single party, it is very welcoming to solo players. A player can purchase hirelings to join them and fill up party spots. A player can only summon a single hireling that is bought with in-game gold but there is no limit to those purchased from the game's shop. A single player can tackle some difficult adventures by themselves by summoning a group of hirelings. Yet even this is not fully necessary. Dungeons and Dragons Online features a difficulty slider for quests, so solo players can choose the casual setting if they feel like going it alone.

Marvel Heroes OmegaOur next entry on our compilation of our top five solo mmo games is Marvel Heroes Omega, formerly Marvel Heroes 2016. While other players are a constant presence in this superhero free mmo, they really come across as background noise. I spend almost every second of my playing time in Marvel Heroes Omega playing by myself. There are several reasons why this game is great for solo players. The first is that getting into the action only takes a few seconds, and the player can handle practically everything in the game by themselves. From fighting off hordes of enemy mobs to supervillains, there is no need to rely upon others. There are a number of game modes that truly cater to the solo player, such as the Danger Room. Of course, if the player feels like they need a hand, they can just summon a Team-Up superhero to join them. Another reason why this game is perfect for solo players is that there is no true time commitment to having to stay in the game. Play for a few hours or just ten minutes; the choice is up to you without having any real impact upon your progress. Marvel Heroes Omega offers up nonstop action in a casual model.

Guild Wars 2The last of our top five solo mmo games is Guild Wars 2. I chose this game as it offers a number of features that really cater to solo players. First is the fact that the average player should be able to face most of the challenges found in Guild Wars 2 on their own. When I used to regularly play the game, I figured that I only grouped with others less than five percent of the time, and that was usually when going after some dragons. The scalability of dynamic events is also great for solo players. These events increase in difficulty the more players take part, which means that the difficulty is usually quite reasonable when undertaken by a single player. The game's fast travel system also makes it quite easy for players to quickly travel to wherever they wish to go. Of course, most modern online games don't make it an exercise in survival in simply trying to get from one zone to another. Then there's the fact that the player does not need any others to help them to take part in one of the game's best known features - the jumping puzzles. Lastly, players can ignore going into dungeons or taking part in PvP if they wish and just focus on the solo-friendly PvE content.

As you can see from our list of our top five solo mmo games, it's become quite common for online games to cater to the individual player and not require them to group in order to progress through the game. Did your favorite solo-friendly game make the cut? If not, let us know in the comments below.